Hi Bernard,
No, what I get from publishers is, pretty much, exact reproductions of
originals in PDF: print-ready copies essentially.
Also, you comment that: "This is not particularly relevant for
post-graduates", and I'd ask "what is"? While DSA has practically gone mad
for under-grads (personal opinion), the idea of being a disabled post-grad
student still seems to be decidedly not encouraged.
Paul.
Paul Jarman,
Disability Support Officer,
2.39 Francis Bancroft Building,
Queen Mary, University of London,
Mile End Road,
LONDON. E1 4NS
Tel.: +44 (0)20 7882-2757,
Fax: +44 (0)20 7882-5223,
E-Mail: [log in to unmask]
-----Original Message-----
From: Discussion list for disabled students and their support staff.
[mailto:[log in to unmask]]On Behalf Of BERNARD DOHERTY
Sent: 25 January 2007 17:48
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Charge for ebooks for visually-impaired students
Actually, Paul, my understanding was that this was one of the specific
examples given for expenditure on the General Allowance (i.e., producing
text in accessible formats). This is not particularly relevant for
post-graduates, but that's why I look for students to be able to scan their
own texts (many students will be required to look at volumes long out of
print). It's a pity there's not a wider selection of 'talking' scanners at
an affordable price or more of them in academic libraries, enabling blind
students to determine what texts are worth the time in making a full copy.
On another point, I assumed Ian was asking if publishers' digital versions
of books followed a standard format, like DAISY. It's something I'd like to
know, anyway.
Regards, Bernard
Bernard Doherty
Assessor
Cambridge Access Centre
Paul Jarman <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
HI Jane,
In this particular case, as it happens, there's no DSA anyway as I am
dealing with an international student. However, I think you've highlighted
the exact question that, as a result of this experience, I was going to put
to the group. If this is more common than I thought, have we already
reached the stage where needs assessments for totally blind students--or, at
least, any students with insufficient sight to read "the printed book" in
some way--will have to start building in an "accessible book" allowance, or
some such? The problem is, of course, that, even if this was to become
standard practice, at, let's say, 50 pounds plus VAT per book, that
allowance is going to have to be considerably larger than any
hitherto--especially at post-grad level. Just out of curiosity, I had a
glance at the bibliography for my own Ph.D, and I think it exceeds 200
books. Booklists generally are getting longer and longer. That's some
cost!!!
Paul.
Paul Jarman,
Disability Support Officer,
2.39 Francis Bancroft Building,
Queen Mary, University of London,
Mile End Road,
LONDON. E1 4NS
Tel.: +44 (0)20 7882-2757,
Fax: +44 (0)20 7882-5223,
E-Mail: [log in to unmask]
-----Original Message-----
From: Discussion list for disabled students and their support staff.
[mailto:[log in to unmask]]On Behalf Of Dudley, Jane
Sent: 24 January 2007 18:02
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Charge for ebooks for visually-impaired students
Hi Paul
I have been asked to pay an admin charge for 1 title and that was about 6
months ago) I tend to request about 50 titles each year. In the case of
the charging publisher (I can't remember who that was) I asked the student
what they would like to do and expected this charge to come from their DSA
allowance as I had already asked the LEA to provide a book allowance.
regards
Jane
________________________________
From: Discussion list for disabled students and their support staff. on
behalf of Paul Jarman
Sent: Tue 23/01/2007 12:49
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Charge for ebooks for visually-impaired students
Hello everyone,
I would very much like to know whether anyone else is being charged by
publishers for the obtaining of e-copies of books for use by
visually-impaired students. As you all probably know, the obtaining of
e-books for my VI students is an area which I have worked hard on personally
over the last few years, and often with great success. I have dealt with a
considerable number of publishers, both small and large, across the UK, and
seldom with any real adverse reaction when I have fully explained the
current law and the needs of my students. However, for the first time ever,
I have today received a response from one of the UK's major university
presses saying that, while they are happy to send me the relevant two books
in PDF format, they will also be sending me "our invoice for £50 plus VAT,
to cover the
administrative and postage costs involved". While I am not going to name
the publisher, I have to say that I have only had one previous dealing with
them, about two years ago, when they claimed that they didn't have the
relevant title that I wanted in e-format. I should add that I have also
heard some not very good things from others about this particular publisher
and their willingness to help in such matters, but I will only name and
shame if enough people come back to me on this group to say that they are
also not used to being charged for e-books for these purposes. All I can
say personally is that, at 50 pounds plus VAT for just two titles, my
Department's budget would disappear very quickly indeed at such rates,
especially with six visually-impaired students here this year. These
particular titles were requested for one of our post-graduate VI students,
and the reading list from which it was taken contains 63 titles alone. That
would be well over 1500 pounds alone, excluding VAT, if I was to pay this
particular publishers so-called admin costs.
Please share your experiences with me, and, if you are quite used to picking
up what I personally think are astronomical costs, then how do you do it?
Paul.
Paul Jarman,
Disability Support Officer,
2.39 Francis Bancroft Building,
Queen Mary, University of London,
Mile End Road,
LONDON. E1 4NS
Tel.: +44 (0)20 7882-2757,
Fax: +44 (0)20 7882-5223,
E-Mail: [log in to unmask]
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